The New SAT vs. the Old SAT

The SAT has changed in March, 2016. Read on to learn about the differences between the previous SAT and the new test, and get some advice on how to prepare for exam day.

Current SAT vs. New SAT

To make the content of the SAT more relevant and applicable to future college success, College Board introduced the New SAT in March 2016. Below find side-by-side overviews to compare each section of the previous SAT with the updated version.

For test prep information check out our SAT Prep Course. It offers in-depth review lessons for the entire exam, and has been updated to reflect the new style of the SAT.

Check out Study.com's SAT Reading Prep course. Work through our video lessons at your own pace, and use our lesson and chapter exams to check your understanding as you go.

Math Section

Old SAT

New SAT

Sections/Tests

Single Math test

Single math test with no-calculator questions

Skills Assessed

* Basic Algebra* Geometry* Arithmetic* Statistics and Probability

* Linear equations* Quantitative data analysis* Complex equations

Number of Questions

54 questions

57 questions

Time Allotted

70 minutes

80 minutes

Study.com's SAT Math Prep course provides an extensive review of math topics covered in the SAT. Use the chapter exams as a pre-assessment to determine what you need to study, or along with the lesson quizzes to track your progress.

Essay Section

Old SAT

New SAT

Sections/Tests

Required essay

Optional essay (some colleges may still require it)

Skills Assessed

* Ability to write an argument based on a writing prompt

* Ability to analyze an author's argument and provide support from a 600-700-word passage

Summary:

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